Total Depravity (Romans 3:10-12; Ephesians 2:1-3)
As an Arminian I don’t have a problem with affirming total depravity. I likewise hold to the need for divine enabling in order to believe. But unlike Calvinists, Arminians reject the idea that this enabling is irresistible regeneration given only to some. Ironically, the Ephesians passages quoted here in defense of the T in TULIP actually refutes the Calvinist claim:
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.” (vss 2-3)
The “dead in your transgressions and sins” is the part Calvinists want us to focus on since they think it supports their claim that regeneration precedes faith. But the passages says nothing of the sort. It simply describes the reality that until sin is dealt with, we cannot experience the life that God offers us since the wages of sin are death (Rom 6:23). Sin separates/alienates us from the life of God (cf. the parallel passage in Col. 1:21-23). Nothing here about the inability of a physical corpse to do anything implying the need for new life in order to believe (which is the standard Calvinist line). Indeed as we keep reading we see the solution to problem of being dead in sins and it is not at all friendly to the Calvinist interpretation:
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”
Yes, the solution to being dead in sin is to be joined to the source of life in Christ. He made us alive “with Christ”. It is only through union “with” Christ that we can receive the life that is Him, and Ephesians 1:13 has already described how we come to be joined to Christ:
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,”
It is through believing the Gospel that we are joined to Christ and receive all the spiritual blessings (1:3), including new life, that reside in Him. Paul goes on to say we are raised up “with” Him, another picture of regeneration taking place as a result of faith union with Christ:
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (vs. 6)
And of course all of this becomes true for us “by grace through faith” (vss. 5-8)
The parallel passage in Colossians makes this point even stronger, stating that the spiritual resurrection we receive in Christ (symbolized in Baptism) is received by faith:
“In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.” (2:11-12).
As the passage continues it makes the exact point I did above regarding what being dead in sin means, that our sins separates us from God, preventing us from enjoying life in Him until the sin that causes death is dealt with:
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
Through union with Christ His death becomes our death and His life becomes our life. In both Ephesians and Colossians union with Christ is Paul’s primary theological concern with regards to how we receive the benefits of the atonement and the blessing of new life in Christ that results. And Paul makes in clear in both letters that this union is the result of faith. So rather than teaching that regeneration precedes faith, the only two passages in the New Testament that describe us as “dead in sins” actually teach exactly the opposite. New life is received by faith which joins us to Christ and all the spiritual blessings that reside in Him alone (Eph 1:3).
Unconditional Election (Ephesians 1:4-5; Rom 9:15-16)
Ephesians 1:4-5 is dealt with the same way as the other Ephesian passages above. All spiritual blessings are found in Christ (1:3) and become ours through faith union with Him (1:13). These blessings include election (vs. 4), redemption (vs.7), the indwelling Spirit (vss 13-14) and a predetermined destiny given to those chosen in Christ. Again, the idea is simple, through union with Christ what is true of Him becomes true of us. His election becomes our election. His life becomes our life. His death and the redemption wrought by that death becomes ours, etc. Likewise, we share in His destiny through adoption which makes us co-heirs with Him so that His inheritance becomes our inheritance (vss. 5, 14, 18-23; 3:6-7, cf. Rom 8:14-18).
None of this is unconditional according to Paul (as we have already seen). It is all conditioned on union with Christ (1:4) which is conditioned on faith (1:13).
Romans 9:15-16:
“For he says to Moses,
‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’
It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”
It is strange that Calvinists routinely assume that if God declares that those He shows mercy to is up to His discretion (vs 15) then this must mean that He does so unconditionally. Obviously that doesn’t follow in the least. God can just as well decide to show mercy conditionally, which is exactly what He does. Verse 16 only reiterates the fact that we do not get to dictate to God on what basis He will show mercy. This is critical to Paul’s Gospel of salvation through grace by faith in Romans and his main concern here is to address the Jews’ resistance to that Gospel in insisting that God show mercy on their terms, based on works and ethnicity, rather than faith in Christ alone. So it is basically stating the opposite of what Calvinists claim (as is so often the case). This is reinforced in the conclusion to His argument in Romans 9:
“What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the “stumbling stone.”
As it is written:
“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall,
and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” (vss 30-33)
God is not saving the way they think He should save (through faith in Christ with no regards to works or heritage), which is why they stumble over the stumbling stone. It is the offense of the Gospel that keeps them from receiving God’s mercy, not some eternal unconditional decree (10:2-4). And we see this theme continue to be reinforced through chapters 10-11. Indeed, those that are “hardened” (11:7) according to Paul are the same ones who can yet be grafted into the Olive tree (representing God’s covenant people) if they do not persist in unbelief (11:11-24) in accordance with God’s desire to have mercy on all (11:32).
Limited Atonement (John 10:14-15; Matthew 1:21)
John 10:14-15:
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
As has been pointed out many times to Calvinists, the fact that Jesus lays down His life for a specific people doesn’t mean it does not apply to anyone else, especially since we have numerous passages that are specifically addressing the extent of the atonement and plainly stating that it is for all, the world, the whole world, every man, etc. Paul says that Jesus died specifically for him in Galatians 2:20, and obviously that doesn’t mean Jesus died only for Paul.
Since John is referenced here, let’s look at another passage in John which I think definitively refutes the limited atonement view (and no, it isn’t John 3:16-18 though that works too).
After plainly stating that through the cross Jesus will draw “all men” unto Himself (12:32), He then states:
“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. (vss. 46-48)
Here Jesus says He did not come to judge but to save the very world that includes those who reject His word and will be condemned as a result. So Jesus came to save those who would reject Him? How does that work with the Calvinist claim that Jesus only came to save the elect? Obviously it doesn’t, but it conforms perfectly to Jesus saying that God sent Him because He loved the world and provided salvation through Him to anyone who would believe in Him (John 3:16-18, along with numerous other passages that state the same thing).
Matthew 1:21:
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
This is very similar to the passage we just dealt with, but has a few more problems with regards to the Calvinist use of it. Contextually this passage is using “His people” primarily as a reference to Israel (Matthew 2:1-2; cf. John 1:12-14). So if Calvinists are going to be consistent, they would need to say that Jesus came only to save the Jews. Is that what they believe? Of course not. But nothing in this passage says otherwise. Jesus came to save the Jews, but not the Jews alone. He came to save all who would put their faith in Him and become His people as a result:
“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:26-29)
It is through faith that we come to belong to God (and partake of His atonement for His people/children). We do not come to faith because we are already His children.
Irresistible Grace (John 6:37, 44; Ezekiel 36:26-27)
This has already gone longer than I intended so I will just leave links to posts that already address these claims.
John 6:37, 44: Various Thoughts on The Use of John 6 And Related Passages From John’s Gospel to Support Calvinism
Does John 6:44 Teach Irresistible Grace?
Ezekiel 36:26-27: Is the “New Heart” of Ezekiel 36:26-27 a Reference to Regeneration Preceding Faith?
Perseverance of the Saints (John 10:27-29; Philippians 1:6)
John 6:27-29: Does Jesus Teach Unconditional Eternal Security in John 10:27-29?
Philippians 1:6: Is Philippians 1:6 A Good Proof Text For Eternal Security?
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For more on Romans 9:
Dr. Brian Abasciano on the Conditionality Implied in Romans 9:16 and its Connection to John 1:12-13
Highlighting an Important Series Critiquing The Calvinist Interpretation of Romans 9
An Apparently Not So Brief Response to C. Michael Patton on Rom. 9
For more on being dead and sin and faith preceding regeneration:
For more on Perseverance of the Saints: Perseverance of the Saints: Thirteen Part Series
[Link to the original post and comments on Ben Henshaw’s website]
